Imprinting Conflict
by Daniella Ivette
Summary: -Alternative Universe- After Monica dumped David in the woods, he starts a journey looking for her...but what would have happened if he found someone else instead?
1. Dumping & Newcomer

**Title:** Imprinting Conflict

**Author:** Danielle Swinton

**Genre: **Drama

**Rating:** PG-13

**Archive:** Sure!

**Feedback:** Please!

**Disclaimer:** David and the Swintons were created by Brian W. Aldiss; Kubrick, Spielberg, Amblin Entertainment and DreamWorks own them; I just play with them. However, Veronica, her family, Hal Peters, Dr. Sanders and Dr. Longchamp  are 100% mine.

**Warning:** Alternative Universe, own characters.

**Summary:** After Monica dumped David in the woods, he starts looking for her...but what would have happened if he found someone else instead?

**Chapter 1: Dumping and Newcomer**

_"__David, listen. Now you won't understand the reasons, but I...I have to leave you here__"_

_"Is it a game?"_

_"No…"_

_"When will you come back for me?"_

_"__I'm not, David, you...you'll have to be here by yourself__"_

_"Alone?"_

_"With Teddy"_

David huddled himself to his mommy, not wanting to be alone...

_"David, listen...take this, alright? Take this. And don't let anybody see how much it is. Now look...Don't go that way, alright? Look! Don't look at me, look!  Don't go that way, alright? Go anywhere but that way or they'll catch you! Don't ever let them catch you!"_

_"Why do you want to leave me? Why-"_

_"Stay away from Flesh Fairs, away from where there are lots of people! Stay away from all people! Only others like you, only Mecha are safe!"_

Monica tried to walk away, but David held himself to her body…and made a last effort to convince her…

_"__Why do you want to leave me? Why do you want to leave me?! I'm sorry I'm not real, if you let me I'll be so real for you!"___

These words almost broke Monica's heart. Suddenly she thought about keeping him, but she knew what she had to do…so she pushed him away, making him fall down.

_"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the world!__"_

With these words, she ran to her car, closed the door, and made the car engine work. David ran to the car, and tried to open the door, but Monica was much faster, and drove away, leaving the poor, helpless little boy in the forest…all alone...

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David walked through the forest, with Teddy in his arms.

"David, are we lost?" the bear asked, with a slight frown in his furry face.

"I don't know, Teddy" David answered "Let's go this way" he added, walking to his left side, where he saw some lights.

David and Teddy kept walking until they found a large, deserted road. Some cars passed by, but none of them seemed to pay attention to the little boy and the bear walking in the road…

"What can we do, Teddy?" David asked.

"Why not asking for a ride?" Teddy suggested, "I've seen it in the movies"

"And how's it done?"

"You extend your arm to the road, and lift your thumb, like this…" and Teddy taught David the way he should do it.

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19-year-old Veronica Adams was driving in the cold, dark road at 8:55 p.m., listening to some music as she smoke a cigarette.

"I know it's no good to smoke and drive, but…what the heck!" she said, as she opened the window to blow out the smoke.

When she looked back to the front, she found a very strange sight…

"What in the bloody hell-" she said when she saw a blond-haired little boy with a bear, asking for a ride.

"Hmm…how strange" she thought "What is this kid doing out here? I'd better check out"

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David was still with his hand stretched, when he saw a blue car stopping in front of him. The driver's seat window opened, and he found a young girl with pale skin, shoulder-length messy brown hair and brown eyes, looking at him.

"Hey lil' fella, whatcha doin' out here?" she said, with a hint of a southern accent.

"I'm lost" David said.

"And what's your name?" she asked.

"I'm David"

"Well…David…why are you out here? It's very dangerous for kids like you to be outside at hours like these" she said, and showed him her watch; it was 9:00 p.m.

"My mommy left me here" David answered.

"Hmm…and I guess you want to go home" Veronica said, and David nodded "Well, care if I help?" she asked.

"Mommy says I shouldn't ride with strangers" David hesitated a little.

"Well, David, your Mommy's right, but I'm not a big, bad man, am I?" she said "Not to worry, lil' fella, I won't hurt you"

David thought for a second…maybe she was right… criminals usually are big, bad guys…not young, pretty girls…

"O-okay" he finally said.

"Well, get in, hun" she said "We don't have all night, y'know" she added, and opened the door.

David and Teddy got in, and sat in the passenger's seat. Veronica closed the door, and told David to put his safety belt.

"We don't want an accident here, do we?" she smiled, and David obeyed, always looking at her.

Then Veronica took the steering wheel, and they drove away from that dark road.

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"And how'd you guys end up there?" Veronica asked.

"My mommy brought us to the country for a picnic" David explained "And she left us there and drove away"

"And why did she leave you here?" she said.

"I dunno" he answered, looking down, sadly "I guess it's because Martin didn't like me"

"And who's Martin?" she asked.

"He's Mommy's real son" David said.

"Real son? Maybe he's adopted" she thought "But why would somebody not want this cute little boy?" she wondered, looking at David's ocean-blue eyes.

"We're trying to get back home" Teddy said, looking at the girl. She smiled at him.

"That's a cute bear you got there" she said "What's your name, lil' buddy?"

"My name is Teddy" the bear answered.

"Well, Teddy and David, I'm Veronica" she said "Nice to meet you, guys"

"Nice to meet you too, Veronica" David said, and then he thought "Veronica…it sounds like Mommy's name…and she looks like her, also" he thought, as he saw her smoking a cigarette.

In fact, Veronica was still smoking her cigarette, but she saw David and Teddy looking at her.

"What's wrong?" she asked, but she saw the cigarette in her hand, and felt a bit embarrassed "Oh, sorry…" she added, as she opened the window, and threw away the cigarette "I forgot it's no good for kids like you"

"It's okay" David smiled.

"Well, well…we better hurry, because by the address you gave me, we're on a VERY LONG ride" she smiled again. In fact, Teddy had given her the Swinton's address because it was saved in his brain database "Maybe we'll need to stay in a motel tonight, unless you guys wanna sleep here in the car"

"If we sleep in the motel, we'll be safer?" David asked.

"Yes, David" Veronica answered "And we'll be more comfy sleeping in a bed instead of a stretch car seat"

"Well…fine" he said.

**_Author's Note: _**_This is one of the hardest fics I've written. I hope you liked what I've got so far. Well, in next chapter, we'll see what happens at the hotel where Veronica and David will stay. __Will she discover what David really is? What will she do about it? Reviews, please!_


	2. Hotel Night & Sleeping Failure

**Chapter 2: Hotel Night and Sleeping Failure**

"Here we are" Veronica said, as they arrived to a motel in the road. It was 9:50 p.m., and it was very dark, so she decided to stay in a motel. She entered a parking lot, and left the car there. Then she got out, with David and Teddy following her.

"You have to leave the keys here, miss" the clerk told her, and she gave him the car keys, which he put on a locker, and gave her an ID card "You'll have to give me this when you pick up the car"

"Thanks, sir" Veronica said, and walked away to the elevator, where David was waiting for her.

"Take my hand, hunny" she told him as the elevator's door opened. They entered, and went to the lobby floor.

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"That's 80 NB per night" the male receptionist said.

"Oh, dear…that's a bit expensive" Veronica thought, and she said "Does that include breakfast?"

"Yes, miss" he said "And the boy stays for free" he added, looking at David, who was looking at the motel brochures and the pictures in the walls. 

"That's good" she smiled "I'll take it"

"Well…that's a single room with a double bed, with breakfast included" he confirmed, and took a key "Here you are. Room 406, 4th floor to the left. Enjoy your stay!" he said, with a smile. 

"Thanks a lot" she said "C'mon, guys" she added, and David took her hand, Teddy climbed to his back. They went to the elevator, and she pressed the button to the fourth floor.

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"This…is…HUGE!" Veronica said when they entered the room. It had a large bed with beige sheets, a nightstand with a lamp, a transparent sliding door that led to a balcony, a TV and a bathroom. The lamp's light shone brightly in the room.

She walked to the bathroom, where she found a large tub, so she considered the idea of taking a good, relaxing bath. She had taken her shirt off when she heard a noise, and she saw David in front of her. She blushed fiery red, and covered herself with a tiny towel she found. David stared at her, with that innocent look in his big, blue eyes.

"Ummm…David, why don't you go watch some TV while I take a bath?" she suggested.

"Yes, Veronica" he said with a smile, and walked out.

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"What are you doing, David?" Teddy asked when he saw David sitting in the bed, looking for something. David found the TV remote control.

"Veronica told me to watch some TV" he answered, as he turned on the TV and put it in FOX Kids Channel, on the 'Barney & Friends Show', and added "Come here, Teddy"

"Yes, David" the bear said, climbing on the bed. 

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Veronica was taking a long, relaxing bath. She had put some vainilla bubble bath on warm water, and had gratefully gotten into the tub. As she closed her eyes to relax, she thought of David, the sweet little boy she had just found alone in the road…

"Wonder why his mom left him there…" she thought "Maybe he just got lost, or…his mom didn't want him…but why wouldn't she want that cute boy?" she added, with a concerned voice.

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David and Teddy were laughing at Barney's silly antics, when Veronica got out of the bathroom wearing a comfy large-sleeved blue sweatshirt (with the Phoenix University logo on it), blue sweatpants and white socks. Her large, messy brown hair was now neatly combed in a ponytail, reaching her middle-back. 

"Well, David" she said "I guess it's time to go to bed. I guess you want to change that clothes you're wearing" she added, looking ad David's blue jacket, his white T-shirt and his blue pants, which were all covered with dirt and grime from his walk in the forest "I'll leave you alone for a sec, so you can change"

She gave him a white robe; and she was going to get out of the room when she heard a tiny, sweet voice saying "Dress me?" She turned around, and saw David in front of her, handing her the robe she had given him. 

"What-" she said, surprised, then she decided to agree "Well…here, lemme help you" she added, as she took off David's shirt and pants, slightly blushing, fumbling with the dirty clothes. When she looked up, David was looking back at her, smiling with those innocent blue eyes. 

"What's wrong, David?" she asked, but he only giggled gingerly, and she looked puzzled.

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"It's bedtime, David" she finally said. David was already dressed with the white robe, and the laundry service had gone to the room to pick up the dirty clothes. 

Veronica set up the bed sheets, helped by David. He stared at her as she lied down in the bed. 

"Come in, David" she said when she saw him standing in front of her with an odd, blank look on his eyes. "You've gotta sleep, boy, you must be tired"

"Yes, Veronica" he said, and did as he was told. She tucked him and Teddy in, and covered them with the blankets. Then she turned off the lights, and the room lit up with the moonlight entering the balcony's huge windows.

"G'night, David" she said, and kissed his forehead. "G'night, Teddy" she added.

"Good night, Veronica" David said, and Veronica closed her eyes.

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David hugged Teddy very close to him, and moved to a more comfortable position, but no matter how much he tried, he couldn't sleep.

"I can't sleep, Teddy" David cried in a thin whisper "I've tried, but I can't sleep"

"It's okay, David" the bear said, putting one of his tiny paws on David's forehead, trying to comfort the little Mecha-child.

"But I have to sleep if I want to be real" he insisted, "Will I be real if I sleep?"

"I don't know" Teddy said, as both of them looked at the sleeping girl besides them. David approached her; and with his right hand brushed a lock of brown hair off her face, and looked at her closed eyes.

"She looks so much like Mommy" he said.

"David, she's NOT Mommy" Teddy said.

"I know!" David said, and he lied down straight, looking at the ceiling with his never blinking eyes.

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**_Author's Note: _**_Okay, David's gotten a bit smitten with the girl at this point, and so has she. But there's a problem...he can't sleep. What will happen if she discovers him? Read Chapter 3 to find out!_


	3. Revealed Secret

**Chapter 3: Revealed Secret**

At 1:30 a.m., Veronica woke up to go to the bathroom. When she got back to the bed, she saw something she hadn't noticed before: the little boy besides her, who was supposed to be sleeping, was looking to the ceiling with widely opened eyes, as if he were in some sort of trance. 

"What's wrong, David?" she asked him, as she lied down in the bed, and she shook him gently "David? Are you okay? You can't sleep, honey?" she added, with a concerned look on her face. David looked at her.

"No. I never sleep" he said, slowly.

"W-w-wait a second…you just said you NEVER sleep?" she asked, confused "Why-" she was going to ask him why, but suddenly she remembered something… 

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_There was a huge building, with transparent windows… her mother, her sister and her aunt had taken her to some strange place, with advanced technology and strange, doll-looking people walking around…_

_"How great!"__ Veronica's mom said, looking at a new Mecha-Chef model "this thing never eats and never gets ill!"_

_"They look so real!" Anna (Veronica's sister) said._

_"Yeah, but that look in his eyes…he never blinks…he can't even sleep" Veronica's mother said, looking at the Mecha's blank looking green eyes "It's so creepy…"_

_"Mommy, what are we doing in __New Jersey__?" 11-year-old Veronica asked innocently._

_"Honey, do you know these things?" her mother said, Veronica shook her head negatively "These are a completely new kind of robot. As you can see, they look like real people, but they don't sleep, eat or get ill"_

_"But that's a sin! I mean, we as humans can't pretend to create something like this! We're not God!" her aunt Sarah said. Southern and fundamentalist Christian as she was, she couldn't accept this creation…abomination, as she called it. But Anna and Veronica were completely oblivious of their aunt's thoughts._

_"And how are they called, Anna?" Veronica asked._

_"Mechas" her sister answered "These are Super-advanced machines"_

_"An abomination" Aunt Sarah snorted._

_"Auntie, don't say that" Anna said, but her aunt didn't listen to her._

_"Can't you see? It's just a failed intent from a frustrated scientist to contaminate our human race!"_

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That memory faded from her mind, and Veronica looked at David, not believing what she had discovered.

"A Mecha..." she finally said "Y-you're a Mecha...a machine" she stuttered, leaning in the wall.

"I'm a boy" David said stubbornly.

"B-but...you look so real..." Veronica sputtered. Then she remembered what David told her that very night, when they first met...

_"Martin is Mommy's REAL son"_

And she understood everything...David wasn't adopted as she first thought, he was a Mecha...a little Robo-boy whose mother dumped him...

"So...that's why your mom left you...she didn't want you anymore, did she?" she said, her eyes dark with compassion and pity. David opened his mouth…emitting a silent scream.

"No..." he said "My Mommy doesn't hate me...she can't hate me! She can't hate me!" he cried, standing up.

"David..." she said, putting a hand in his shoulder, but the boy pulled her away and ran to the window "David, wait!" she shouted, as he ran to the balcony. 

David reached the window and sat on the windowsill. Light and little as he was, he didn't make too much pressure on the window frames.

"She can't hate me..." he whispered "But why did she leave me? What did I do?" he added, as he rubbed his eyes with a hand, like trying to wipe away his tears, although he had no tears...

"David...I'm sorry" Veronica said, slowly reaching him, and stood by his side, watching the sky full of stars "It's my fault. I shouldn't have said that about your mom...are you okay?" she added, with a concerned look on her face. David looked at her.

"Yes, Veronica" he said "I'm fine" he added, with a weak smile.

"Look, I don't know too much about your mom, but I bet you love her a lot" she said "Just going through all this just to find her...that means a lot, y'know"

David stood silent, looking at the sky.

"Uh...listen, I-I'll try to help you" she said, leaning a hand in his shoulder "You can count on me"

This time, David looked at her, with the sweet smile she so loved.

"Thank you, Veronica" he said. 

"I'll find out how to help, but it'll be tomorrow" she smiled "We've got to sleep…c'mon, big guy" she added, as David stretched out his arms to her, waiting to be held. She took him into her arms and carried him to the bed.

"Don't worry, David" she said as she tucked him in, for the second time that night "Everything will be fine" she added, and she lied down besides him.

As he stayed there, in a trance, looking at the ceiling, Veronica looked at him. 

"I can't believe he's a robot" she thought "He's so real...so perfect...whomever who made him, he or she created a masterpiece" she thought again, and remembered what had happened 2 months ago, at Houston's Flesh Fair, where she went with some college friends. Being in the South, with all those fanatical Christian fundamentalists and narrow-minded people, Lord Johnson-Johnson had made a great inversion with Flesh Fairs, which were usually crowded by Mecha-haters, mostly old people, trapped in the 20th Century. She always hated those fairs, all that gory, hectic atmosphere...the blank, humble attitude of Mechas when the acid was poured on them...and the sadistic pleasure people felt by killing those strange, but special beings...she remembered two phrases she often heard in the Fair…

_"We want a future completely HUMAN!!!"_

_"We're only demolishing ARTIFICIALITY!!" _

"But how can they call ARTIFICIAL something so real...so innocent…so helpless like this boy?" she wondered, as she caressed David's soft, blond hair. He looked at her with those tender, smoldering blue eyes, and she saw that sweet, helpless nature in him. Her heart stood up to the madness she had been exposed to in the last 2 months, making her love the little boy, not caring if he wasn't like the other kids she had met. And she wanted to...

Suddenly, she pulled David very close to her, and locked him in a soft, warm embrace. David surprised a lot and looked at her. When he saw her smile, he suddenly remembered Monica's smile and how she used to smile at him. At that moment, he realized how identical his mommy and Veronica were…

"Keep me safe..." he said, as he huddled himself closer to her.

"Oh, David..." she managed to say, and kissed his forehead.

"Please...keep me safe" David repeated, as he buried his face onto Veronica's chest.

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**_Author's Note: _**_I tried very hard to describe Veronica's memories about the Flesh Fair. As you might know, Southern ppl is more conservative about polemic stuff (hey, no offense to the Southern ppl, okay? Just to get it straight), and I tried to reflect it here. Well, as we can see, Veronica's kind heart wants to help the little David, because he's real to her...doesn't she act like Monica at this point? Well...what will her heart lead her to help this little fella? Read next chapter!_


	4. Two roads, one choice

**Chapter 4: Two roads, one choice**

The morning after, Veronica woke up. As she opened her eyes, she looked at the little boy besides her, his tiny body all cuddled up against hers. She stroked his soft blond hair, and he looked up at her, giving her a sweet smile she already loved.

"G'mornin', David" she smiled back at him.

"Good morning, Veronica" he said. She got out of the bed and stretched out.

"Well, it's time to take a bath" she said "David, someone will knock the door soon. If they leave a white bag, then it's the laundry service. Your clothes is in there. Get changed and we'll go, okay?"

"Okay" he said, and she went to the bathroom.

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As Veronica took a quick shower, she thought about David, and the secret she had discovered the night before. The last thing she could remember was David's begging phrase...

_"Keep me safe...Please...Keep me safe"_

"He literally clung to me" she thought as she rubbed the soap over her body "I'd do everything to protect him...God, I'd like to keep him with me!" 

"No, Veronica, you can't keep him. He already has a mother who probably misses him" her subconscious said, but she replied stubbornly. 

"Yeah, right!, If she had loved him, she wouldn't have left him. What kind of mother can that be, a mother who dumps her own child away, to live on his own? He might be a Mecha, but he's still a child! Oh, damn it!" she cursed when she almost fell down to the floor trying to pick up the soap "Silly Veronica, arguing with yourself...but what about David? What will I do with him?" she asked as she dried off her body and put her clothes on. After a quick brush of her hair, she applied some fresh lipstick and lip-gloss, plus some vainilla-scented perfume.

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"Teddy, can you pass me that pillow?" David asked, as he tried to set up the bed.

"Yes, David" his furry friend answered, and they made up the bed. David sat down in the edge of it, with Teddy besides him.

"Teddy, why did Mommy leave me?" David asked.

"I don't know, David" the bear answered.

"Hm, maybe it's because Henry and Martin didn't like me" he said, sadly. 

"But Veronica said she would take us home" Teddy said, and a hopeful smile appeared on David's sad little face.

"Yes, and I'll see Mommy again" he smiled "Veronica is a very nice girl"

"Are you guys talkin' about me?" a feminine voice said, and they looked to Veronica, who had changed to a blue t-shirt and blue jeans; her hair was all loosen, with brown strands falling in her forehead. David was already dressed in his normal clothes, his blue pants, the white t-shirt and his blue jacket. 

They heard a phone ring, Veronica attended the call, and it was the Room Service, announcing her that the breakfast was ready.

"Well, let's go eat, guys" Veronica said, and took David's hand. They got out of the room, accompanied by Teddy.

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"So that's an order of cinnamon waffles, hot chocolate, orange juice and breakfast rolls" the waitress said, and Veronica nodded "Anything for the boy?" she added, and Veronica remembered David couldn't eat. But she didn't want the waitress to know that.

"He'll eat the waffles and the chocolate" Veronica said "Oh, make that a take-out order. We're in a hurry"

"Yes, ma'am" the waitress said, and went to get her order. 

Veronica took the bag, and went to the lobby to pay for the night spent in the hotel.

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"That's a double bed, one night, breakfast included" the receptionist said "It's 80 NB"

"There you go" Veronica said, and gave him the money.

"Thank you, ma'am" he answered "Have a nice day!"

"Thanks" she said, and took David's hand. Then they left the lobby and went to pick up the car at the garage.

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"Well, David..." she said as she turned on the car "We still have 4 hours ahead. If it doesn't rain, you'll be with your mommy at 4 o'clock" this phrase made David smile.

"Really?" he said, his eyes shining with happiness.

"Yes, David" she answered, and she thought "You'll be with your mom...and I won't see you again. I know this has to happen, but why does it sound so wrong?" she thought again, with a sad look on her face. David looked at her.

"Veronica, are you okay?" he asked innocently when he saw the expression on her face. She smiled at him.

"Yes...don't worry, hunny" she said, and she took the steering wheel, and drove away from the hotel, with David and Teddy besides her.

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"Oh, dear...could my day be any worse?" Veronica asked, looking at the smoke getting out of the car engine. The engine had over-heated, and she had to turn it off, therefore she had to stop the car. 

"What's wrong, Veronica?" David asked her.

"The goddamn engine is too hot, and I had to stop the car...stupid car!" she cursed, but she saw David's confused face, so she softened her tone "Don't worry, honey...we'll be with your mommy, but it'll take a little while" 

"Okay" David said, and Veronica picked up her mobile phone.

"Hello...911? Yeah, I'm in the Road 75 with an overheated car engine" Veronica said "What? Will you send a mechanic? Eh...sure! When will he be here?...In two hours?...sure, no prob...thanks, bye" she hang up the phone and looked at David. "It's okay, David. The mechanic will come in two hours, so we'll have to stay here until he comes"

"If the mechanic comes, he will repair the car, and you'll take me with Mommy, right?" he asked.

"Yes, David" she smiled "Well...why don't we have breakfast while he comes?" she proposed, and he nodded.

When they had breakfast -well, when she was eating-, David looked at Veronica, feeling sorry because he couldn't eat the delicious waffles, and drink the hot chocolate -she had saved the rolls and juice for later-. She noticed it.

"David, what's wrong?" she asked him.

"Is the chocolate delicious?" he asked innocently, and she nodded "It looks like the coffee I used to prepare for Mommy in the mornings"

"You made coffee for her?" Veronica said, surprised "How sweet"

"But, although I know she liked it, I couldn't know how it tasted like because I can't eat" he said, sadly "I can't eat because I'm not real, and maybe that's why my Mommy left me" he added, rubbing a hand around his eyes, as if trying to wipe away his absent tears. Veronica caressed his hair and gave him a kiss in the cheek.

"Don't say that, David! Of course you're real! A different kind of real, but you are" she comforted him "You're here as I am, and you have beautiful feelings! That makes you real"

"Really?" he asked surprised.

"Sure! If I hadn't known you were a Mecha, I'd have thought you were made of flesh and blood. But being real goes beyond that. If you can feel love, sadness and all human emotions, then you're real, David."

"Thank you, Veronica" he said, as he extended his arms to her, and she hugged him "Thank you so much..." he added, as she caressed his hair.

"Okay, David" Veronica said a moment later "These are waffles. They have eggs, flour, butter and sugar; this last makes them sweet" she explained him. Feeling sorry because David couldn't eat, she tried to give him an idea about how the food tasted like. And it seemed to work, because the little Robo-boy became more and more interested as she spoke.

"Tell me more" he said.

"Well, the chocolate is also sweet because it has cocoa, milk and sugar" she said, as she took a sip of it, but her face tightened a bunch because the chocolate was too hot. David giggled when he saw how funny she looked "You have to be careful when you drink it, because it may be very hot, and your tongue might end up like this" she added, sticking out her tongue. David laughed again, and gave her the water bottle, so she would be relieved with the fresh liquid.

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"Hello, sorry for coming late" the mechanic said "Have you been waiting too long?" he asked, and Veronica shook her head. "Well, I'll check the car. The problem isn't serious, so I'll finish shortly"

"Thanks" she said, and entered to the car with David and Teddy.

Veronica sat in the driver's seat, and soon fell asleep with her head leaning in the steering wheel. David was reading a Garfield's comic book she had bought him in the road, and he and Teddy were laughing at Odie falling off the table when Garfield stole his food.

"This is so funny, right Veronica?" he asked, when he saw the sleeping girl by his side "Oh, she fell asleep" he said, and reached her.

"She must be tired" Teddy said "She didn't sleep too much last night, and she's been driving for 3 hours"

"You're right, Teddy" David said "What time is it?"

"It's 3:30 p.m." Teddy said, checking his internal clock.

"That means I'll be home at night...right, Teddy?"

"I don't know" the bear answered, as David cuddled himself against Veronica's lap. 

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"Miss Adams? Excuse me, miss..." the mechanic said to the half-asleep girl, when she opened her eyes "It wasn't serious. It just overheated because it had no oil and just a few water. Some wires were loosen, I already fixed that" he explained.

"Thank you, sir" she said, yawning "How much is it?"

"It's free, miss. You called 911" he reminded her.

"Oh, yeah...I forgot" she smiled "Thanks very much!"

"You're welcome" he said, and looked at David "That's a cute boy you have there. What's your name, little pal?"

"I'm David" he said.

"Having a road trip with your big sister?" the mechanic asked sympathetically, and David didn't know how to answer, so Veronica helped him.

"Yes, sir. We were going to New Jersey, but I think we got lost" she said.

"Oh, that's no prob" the mechanic said "Just go straight ahead, and take Road 85. New Jersey is 4 hours away from there"

"That's great!" she smiled "Thanks for the tip"

"No problem. Glad I could help" he said, as he picked up his toolbox "Have a nice trip!"

"Thank you" Veronica said, as the man walked away. Little he knew that David was more related to the car than to the girl he was traveling with...

"Well, David...here we go" she said, as she turned on the car, and they drove away, looking for the Road 85.

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As the sun hid beneath the mountains and the moon started rising, Veronica was driving in the Road 85, there were only 3 hours left to arrive to New Jersey.

"3 more hours...and I won't see him again" she thought, and looked at David "I know I'd like to keep him with me, but...what can I do?" she asked herself, confused. She hated the idea of giving him up.

With these thoughts in her mind, she arrived to a road with 2 ways: one to New Jersey, and the other one would take her to Pennsylvania. She didn't know which one to take.

"And what if I take him with me to Pennsylvania?" she thought "I have an uncle there, and he's not a Mecha-hater as my aunt...he could even be a great friend to my cousin Jody...no, wait! He has a mom in New Jersey, but if she dumped him...oh, God! What can I do?" she asked herself as she looked at both roads, unable to decide which one to take...

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**_Author's Note: _**_WHOOOO!! Two roads, two decisions she can take. Will Veronica take David to his mommy, or will she keep him with her and drive away to Penssylvania? What do you think? _

_What about the last scene? As you might know, crossroads are good symbols for those moments when a character is trying to decide which way to go. A good example is the end of "Cast Away", when Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks's character) is standing in the middle of an empty crossroads amongst cornfields, trying to decide which way to go next, what to do with the new life he's just starting...(thanks to Matrix Refugee for this clever observation!)_

_Well, I guess that's all. Wait for next chapter, and I hope you've enjoyed what I've written...and, as I always say...would you mind leaving a review? They're very helpful to me, as an amateur writer!_


	5. And they finally meet

**_Author's Note: _**_Okay, I took a long time writing this fic. Thanks to Ermite and all the people who sent me reviews, I've read them, and I'm glad you liked my story, at least what I've got so far. It'll take me a little while to finish this story, because it's one of the most complicated fictions I've ever written, so be patient! But I promise the wait will be worthy!_

**Chapter 5: And they finally meet**

Veronica stopped the car, and looked at David. She gently pulled him close to her, and caressed his hair. When she put her hand on his back, her fingers caught a tiny button behind his neck. She remembered the books she had read about Mecha technology, and she tried to guess what the button was for.

"Wait...isn't this the imprinting button? And what if I...?" she thought, but she immediately remembered what she had to do "no, no, I can't...I CAN'T!" she cried out, and David looked at her.

"Veronica...why are you crying?" he asked, but she covered her face, to hide her tears.

"No...it's nothing" she said, with tears in her eyes. How could she explain him what she was feeling, that she wanted to keep him? Would David understand? She had no idea.

"You're lying" he said, looking at her suspiciously "Mommy and I don't like people who lie" he added, and she leaned her head in his lap.

"David...I love you so much" she said "I wish you could stay with me..."

"But I'm here with you" 

"No, you don't understand...I'd like you to be with me...forever" she whispered. David surprised a lot.

"No...my mommy...I love my mommy, and I know she loves me" he said innocently.

"She loves you? Then why did she leave you?" she said, half confused, half angry. He shrugged doubtfully, because he had the same question pitching in his little silicon brain.

"I don't know...but she must have had a good reason...she can't hate me, Veronica. I know she can't" he finally said, but then he saw the sad expression in her eyes and added hopefully "But I like you too" he smiled at her.

"David..." she said, and hugged him "You're right, David. You have a mother, and you should be with her. I'll do the right thing and I'll take you back with her" she thought as David returned her embrace with a tighter one and a sweet smile, and took the road that would lead her to New Jersey.  

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Long away from there, a woman was in a living room, sitting in a sofa near a window. Tapping her fingers against the windowsill, Monica Swinton looked to the streets, with tears in her eyes. The sky was full of stars, which, like tiny lamps, spread their light through the window to Monica's face. 

Although it had been some days since she left him in the woods, she still felt horribly guilty. She looked at a picture she had in her hand; there were Monica, David and Teddy, during Martin's birthday, when the three of them were sitting in front of the pool, Teddy was in David's lap.

"Why did I leave him? Why?" she thought, as the tears falling from her eyes dampened the picture. Then she stood up, and she thought "Why do I have this really strange feeling?", as she looked to the sky through the window crystal, stained with drops of rain.

-------------------------------------------

Veronica, David and Teddy had arrived to New Jersey, the car quickly passed by lots of modern houses and buildings, until David saw one house that was very familiar to him...

"Yes! Here it is! That's my house, Veronica! That's it!" David said joyfully, excited with the thought of seeing his beloved Mommy again...

"Okay...we'll stop here, then" she said, parking the car in a corner nearby. Then they got out of the car, with Teddy clinging on David's back.

-------------------------------------------

Monica stood up and turned off the lights of the living room, and the windows showed a snowy garden with a mountain, like Mount Fuji. It was amazing what a hologram could do.

-------------------------------------------

Veronica took David's hand and led him to the house's entrance, then they walked through the small hallway and found a door. Then Veronica's finger firmly pressed the doorbell.

-------------------------------------------

Monica looked at the clock: it was 9 o'clock. Then she walked through the room to her bedroom, when she heard the doorbell ring. 

"Who could be at this hour?" She asked herself as she walked to the doorway. Yawning constantly, she opened the door, and she held her breath when she saw who was at the door...

There was a tall, brown-haired girl, looking at her seriously. Besides her, there was a blonde-haired, blue-eyed little boy that was so familiar to her...

"D-David?!" Monica gasped, surprised, as David approached her.

"Mommy! I missed you so much!" he said cheerfully, hugging her so lovingly. Monica trembled slightly, and numbly responded to David's hug, not as tightly as he hugged her. She looked at the young girl in front of her, who was still besides David, like refusing to separate him from her. Veronica returned Monica's wondering glance with one full of confusion and seriousness.

"Wha..what are you doing here?...Who are you?" Monica asked. David smiled at her.

"She's my friend Veronica" he said "She found me in the forest, and brought me here, Mommy. She brought me back to you" he said with a sweet smile.

"You're David's mom, aren't you?" Veronica said, still with a blank, serious expression. David smiled at Veronica and nodded. The girl looked at Monica with a confused look on her face, studying the older woman, who looked like she would look in 10 years...

"I'm Veronica Adams" she finally said, smiling slightly "I found David last night wandering around in the woods...wonder what was he doing there" she added gingerly, as her eyes traveled from Monica's face to David's. Monica noticed it.

"David...why don't you go to your room while I talk to this nice lady" she said, and David smiled.

"Yes, Mommy. C'mon, Teddy" he said to his furry friend, who was clinging to David's back.

When David left, Monica looked at the younger girl in front of her, who looked pretty much like herself, just 10 or 12 years younger. Veronica shivered slightly through her green sweater, and Monica smiled at her.

"Oh, I forgot to offer you a seat" she said, as she sat down in the large sofa in the living room and patted the space besides her "Do you want to sit?" she offered, and Veronica obeyed.

"Thanks...Look, there's something I'd like to know" she said dully.

"And that is..." 

"I just want to know why you left David alone" she said. "There, you said it" she thought "Couldn't you be a bit gentle?"

Monica's expression changed from seriousness to shock.

"Look, you don't understand..." she said, when she was interrupted by the girl.

"Maybe I don't know anything about you or your life" Veronica said very calmly "Or why did you adopt David...but why did you leave him? There must be a reason, nothing happens without a reason"

"And why do you think I left him?" Monica finally asked.

"Because he was there, completely alone, when he's s'possed to be with his mother...with a loving mother" she said, emphasizing the last two words.

"I do love him!" Monica almost cried.

"Really? You do? Then why was he alone, why did you throw him away?" Veronica asked, almost mockingly. The tone of her voice made Monica's heart ache more than before.

"I didn't throw him away!" she said "I saved him!"

"You saved him? From what? If I hadn't found him, he'd be caught by the Flesh Fair...or something worse than that" the girl said.

"I know!, And I'm really thankful for what you did, for saving David's life...that's more than I could do" Monica said.

"Look, I can't understand the reasons why you left him, but let me tell you he's a wonderful boy..." Veronica spoke "He might be a robot, but he's real to me. The way he feels, how he behaves with people, the incredible love he has to offer...because he HAS so much love inside him, so much to offer you, and you didn't want to accept it!, at least that's what it seems"

"You don't have the right to say-"

"And now you're here, safe in your house, completely oblivious about what happens to him, not caring if he's sad or if he's safe...have you wondered what would have happened if he were found by someone different and not me?"

"I tried to save him! He was going to be destroyed!" Monica said "My husband wanted to take him back to Cybertronics, so he'd be killed"

"And why? Didn't he want him anymore?"

"Well, he said David was a danger to us" Monica said, and told her everything that happened to them since Martin came back: the accident with the scissors, when David ate spinach, and when he tried to drown Martin...and when they discovered David was innocent. "Henry didn't want to listen to me, he obliged me to take David to the company to be destroyed...I couldn't do it. I just...couldn't. So I left him in the forest. At least he would survive"

"But without you" Veronica said "He loves you so much he walked through the forest looking for a Blue Fairy to be real...so you would love him...you mean the world for him. Doesn't that move your heart, even a bit? When he told me that, I...I felt so glad he loved you so much, even if you didn't deserve it...can't you see you hurt his little heart? He's a robot, but he has a HEART like the rest of us" she said, with tears in her eyes "I understand your reasons, but couldn't you find another solution?"

"There was no other choice!" Monica cried.

-------------------------------------------

While David was in the kitchen making some coffee for the women, he could barely hear what they were saying.

"Teddy, what are they talking about?" he asked, as Teddy passed him two mugs to pour the coffee in.

"I don't know" the bear answered as David poured the coffee.

"Why don't we go and see?" David suggested "Then I can give them the coffee"

"Okay" Teddy agreed and they walked to the living room.

-------------------------------------------

"Of course there should have been! One that wouldn't hurt him...maybe take him to some relatives or something. But you didn't think what he would feel, so you dumped him" Veronica said grimly.

"I-"

"You didn't care about him, so you left him. And if weren't for me, he'd still be out there, in danger. Maybe you didn't love him, but I do. I really do. But I decided to listen to my conscience and I brought him back...with his mother, with you, who threw him away when-"

"I didn't throw him away!" Monica said; the girl's words hurt her so much she felt her heart bleeding "At least I gave him a chance!" 

"A chance for what? To feel the sadness for being rejected? A chance to die out there, with all those goons from the Flesh Fair around?" the girl asked.

"I warned him about that" Monica defeated "I told him everything he needed to know to be safe!"

"It's not the same thing! He's just a little boy who needs your love, and you didn't want to give it to him...all that means that you DID NOT LOVE HIM!" Veronica said angrily.

A loud crash of porcelain breaking could be heard from the fireplace. Both women looked at the tiny figure standing there, with a puddle of coffee and pieces of porcelain mugs around him. His face had an expression of surprise, wonder and confusion, his jaw dropped and his eyes wide open...

"David...?" Veronica gasped, when she saw David's shocked expression. Obviously he had heard her last words, which caused him a strong impact, that left him frozen...

"No...no...mommy..." he mumbled breathlessly "You...you don't...hate me...do you?" he asked slowly, and Monica looked at him, a sad expression formed in her face. 

David looked at Veronica, who was startled as well.

"My mommy...does she hate me?" he asked her worriedly, and she reached out to him.

"David...look, I-" she tried to say, but he stopped her. His poor little brain was in so much chaos that he didn't know what to do, and his anger and confusion were sputtered in a few words...

"No...you...stop speaking!" he said, pushing Veronica off him. Then he ran away, breaking Monica's favorite glass table as he ran.

Monica looked at Veronica very angrily.

"Look what you've done!" she said, and Veronica just bowed her head, with tears in her eyes...

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David ran to his room, and slammed the door shut. He sat in a corner, his head between his hands. He needed to think, his mind was all messed up with the memories he had from his mommy and how much he loved her...now this girl who looks like her had just appeared in his life and made him feel confused...and all the doubts he had...his head was about to explode...

"David..." Teddy said, putting one of his furry paws on David's face, as if trying to comfort him.

"My brain is falling out" David said, moving his head to one side "Mommy...Veronica...why? Why are you doing this? I'm so confused...I don't know what to do..." he mumbled, wiping his eyes as if trying to wipe his tears away...

Then he remembered everything that happened in those two days he spent with Veronica, all the fun he had with that girl who liked him, the night at the hotel, the breakfast in the road, and when they were singing...then he remembered his mom, who had imprinted him. When she read to him and Martin, when she tucked him in the bed, and when he made coffee for her every morning...beautiful moments with two different people...or at least, that's what he thought. Maybe Monica and Veronica weren't so different...

Lots of images were crossing his mind: Monica smiling, then Veronica smiling...the coffee he made for his mommy every morning, and the chocolate Veronica was drinking in the car...Monica reading "Pinocchio" to him and Martin, then Veronica and him singing in the car...and the most important image, Monica tucking him on Martin's bed, then Veronica hugging him when they slept in the hotel's bed...

His brain seemed to collapse. His jaw dropped, and he felt a cold wave running through his body. But he didn't care. He CEASED to care about anything...the gyroscope inside his silicon brain stopped its normal functioning, and he fell backwards on the floor.

"Mommy...Veronica..." were his last words...

"David?" Teddy's voice called him, and the bear kneeled besides David's prostrated body. When he saw David's still body, he furrowed his brows and said "I have to call Mommy" and he ran out of the room.

-------------------------------------------

"Why did you do it?!" Monica yelled at Veronica.

"It was time for him to know! He must know the kind of mother he has!" the younger girl answered.

"But look what happened!" Monica said, when Teddy stepped into the living room. Both women looked at him.

"Teddy...where's David?" Monica asked.

"Mommy, David is in his room...but he..." Teddy stopped, and Veronica lifted him up.

"He...what? What's wrong, for Christ's sake!" she bellowed.

"Follow me" Teddy said and ran to David's room, followed by Monica and Veronica.

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When they arrived to David's room, they found a chaotic mess, because David had thrown everything on the floor in a furious despair. Veronica looked around the room, when something blue caught her eye. It was a blue shoe, and when she walked further, she found an unconscious, frozen little body in the floor...

"Oh, no...oh, no..." she mumbled "David, no...not you!" she cried, and shook David's body.

"Wha...David?!" Monica said, and reached Veronica, who was holding David's body into her arms.

"David, talk to me! Please!" she cried, but David's blank expression remained in his face, not changing "David, wake up! David!" she cried again.

"Oh, no..." Monica said, and shed some tears from her eyes "David...we...lost him..." she added when she saw David's frozen body. Veronica looked at her with all the fury she had.

"No...we didn't lose him...we CAN'T lose him..." she finally said, as she left the room, carrying David's body into her arms...

************************************

**_Author's Note: _**_Whoa...another cliffy here! What will Veronica and Monica do now? Where will Veronica take David? And what will happen to him? Check out Chapter 6!_


	6. Unexpected twist and confronted feelings

**Chapter 6: An unexpected twist and confronted feelings**

"Cybertronics company, Good evening, how can I help you?" a dull feminine voice asked over the phone.

"Good evening" Veronica said hurriedly "We have a damaged DA unit, and we were wondering if we could take him to repair, it's an emergency!"

"Well...it's very late, miss, but our overnight team is available until 4 o'clock in the morning" the operator said "If you can come right now, it would be-" the operator's voice was cut by Veronica's exclamation.

"Sure! We're on our way" she said, and talked to Monica, who was frozen, besides her... "Come on, we have to hurry"

Monica said nothing as they walked to the street and entered to Monica's car, joined by Teddy.

"Will David be alright?" the furry Supertoy asked.

"Yes, Teddy, he will be" Veronica said. Monica looked at her.

"How can you be so sure?" she asked, and the girl frowned.

"I don't know...I just put all my hope in it" she answered "When you really want something to happen, and you wish for it with all your might, it may happen"

"You really love him, don't you" Monica asked.

"Yes, Mrs. Swinton, I really do" Veronica answered, and Monica started the engine. Then they drove away.

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Some miles away from there, a man was in an office, drinking a cup of steamy coffee. He was holding a picture in his hand, where he could see a brown-haired woman, a brown-haired teenage boy and (this caught his attention) a blond-haired, blue-eyed little boy holding a bear in his arms. He stared at the picture, then frowned and put it away.

"Wonder what happened to him" he thought as he stared at his cup of coffee. In spite of himself, he had some feelings for David, but his practical self didn't let him feel them.

Suddenly, the door opened, showing a brown-haired man coming in.

"Hey Henry, what's up?" he asked.

"Bored as always, Hal" Henry answered with rolling eyes "I hate this overnight shift...nothing else but sitting in a chair, drinking cups and cups of coffee and some doughnuts..." he added. Although he was an accountant executive and he wasn't part of the Maintenance/Customer Assistance Department, he was saving some accounting data in Hal's PC, because all the offices in his department were closed to be cleansed that night.

"Neh, nothing interesting happens at these hours" Hal said.

"Well, what are you expecting? It's a robot factory" Henry said, and Hal chuckled.

"Yeah, it's not a cop station, where you can get good stuff even at nights"

"You say you wanna be a cop?" Henry asked surprised.

"No, no, I never said that!" Hal laughed "It's just that I'm so bored here...I wish something interesting would happen, to break the ice, ya know"

"That makes two of us" Henry smiled, and a woman rushed into the office, startling both men "Margaret, what's wrong?" Henry asked.

"We got a case here" she answered "A woman called for a Mecha fixation. It's a DA model, the one we recently shipped" she added, and Hal smiled.

"At last...some work!" he said, and both men stood up.

"You're right, pal" Henry said, patting Hal's shoulder "A DA model...but the only one we shipped is...no...it can't be...!" he thought as they followed Margaret.

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Monica and Veronica didn't talk much during the ride. But when Veronica looked at Monica, she noticed her eyes were full of tears...

"Mrs. Swinton, do you want me to drive?" she asked "It may be dangerous for you, you shouldn't-"

"NO!" Monica bellowed, then she softened her tone "I just...I need to drive...please, let me"

Veronica sighed and nodded reluctantly, and held David's tiny body tightly against her own, while caressing his soft hair.

"He looks so real...it's like he's sleeping right now" she thought, and cleared some locks off his forehead, to kiss it "Don't worry, sweetie...we'll take you to a doctor, and you will be alright" she whispered into his ear, although he couldn't hear her words.

Monica looked at Veronica's loving gesture to David, and remembered the time when she kissed his forehead when she tucked him into Martin's bed. She kept driving, but her tears didn't let her see the road very clearly...

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"Monica must have been really mad at you" Hal said, as they waited to be called "After you told her to leave that Mecha-child..."

"Well, she wasn't exactly angry" Henry said "But she was really sad, and she blames herself for dumping it. But she hasn't slept since the last time she saw it, and it worries me...she's gotten really weak"

"Can't blame her, buddy" Hal said "As far as I've heard, those kids look so real anybody could get easily attached to them"

"You think?" Henry asked suspiciously.

"At least, that's what it seems" Hal said, as they drank their last cup of coffee, waiting to fix the Mecha they'd see that night.

"Wonder how'd end up here" Henry thought as he drank the coffee.

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"And he cried so much, he begged me not to leave him, and when he said he'd become real to me..." Monica said, her eyes full of tears "I almost backed away then"

They were really close to Cybertronics, it was just a mile away.

"Look, don't blame yourself" Veronica said "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hit on you, but I was so angry at that moment that-"

"I can't blame you for hating me" Monica said "You're right for hating such a horrible person like me...a horrible mother" she added. Her heart was aching horribly, and she wiped her tears.

"Don't say that..." Veronica said compassionately.

"It's true...I'm a BAD MOTHER! If I had cared about David, he wouldn't be in danger...it was for me...ALWAYS ME!" Monica cried; no matter how much she wiped her tears, they kept coming to her eyes, and didn't let her see the road...

"Oh, God...WATCH OUT!!" Veronica screamed, and Monica looked in front of her...a truck was in front of the car, about to hit them!

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" they yelled, and the truck hit them, right in the car pole...

"Mrs. Swinton...are you okay?" Veronica asked, when she opened her eyes. Her arms hurt a lot and were bleeding because she had pieces of torn glass; she'd used her body to protect David and Teddy.

"Mommy" Teddy jumped from Veronica's lap "Is Mommy okay?" he asked.

"Dunno, Teddy...lemme see" she answered, and she finally saw Monica's unconscious body "Oh, dear...this is serious..." she added when she saw Monica's body. Unlike hers, Monica's body was bleeding all over, and her head had hit against the steering wheel. No matter how much Veronica shook her, she never aroused. Veronica panicked a lot, but tried to find a solution. "Teddy, we have to call the 911 or go to Cybertronics to get help...does she have a mobile phone or something?" she asked, and Teddy showed her where Monica kept her mobile phone. Veronica took it and dialed the 911 "Hello? This is an emergency...a car wreck, 1 victim...please, bring an ambulance, hurry!"

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The ambulance finally arrived, and took them to Cybertronics' Medical Pavilion, a huge clinic really close to the offices. As they carried Monica in a bed to the emergency room, the Mecha-doctors and the real ones were walking all around, plus the Mecha-nurses. The place was full and it seemed to be a busy night. It was an emergency room, after all.

"Will she be okay?" she asked the doctor.

"She's deadly hurt, miss Adams" he answered "We'll do our best, but I can't assure anything"

"Please...save her" she begged, and the doctor patted her shoulder to calm her down.

"We'll try" he said.

"Teddy, you'll stay here with Mrs. Swinton, I'll go take David to be fixed" Veronica said

"No, Veronica" Teddy said reluctantly, a frown appeared in his cream-coloured furry face "I want to see he's safe"

"Teddy, she has to be with somebody she knows, and David has to be fixed immediately. Don't worry, it'll be for an hour or so" she assured him "We'll meet here later"

"Will he be alright?" Teddy asked, worried about David; although he looked like a boy, Teddy's system scanned him as a machine, just as himself.

After leaving Monica with the doctors, Veronica took David to the offices, to get him fixed.

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"Excuse me, sir" Veronica asked to a security guard in the offices "Could you tell me where the repair section is?" 

"Yes, miss. Go to the 3rd floor, 4th door on your left" he answered "Then ask for Mr. Henry Swinton and Hal Peters...wait, isn't that the Mecha-Child our company built recently?" he asked when he saw David's unconscious body in her arms.

"Ehhh yes...I...his mother is ill in the hospital pavilion. She couldn't bring him here, so I had to do it" she tried to explain.

"Well, let's hope it's not the one that got lost some days ago" he warned "Dr. Hobby is desperate looking for him, he says it's unique. We've planned to ship thousands of models now, we have some of them already built, but Dr. Hobby disagreed with the idea"

"I see...thanks, sir" she said, and took the elevator.

When she left, the security guard took his speakerphone.

"Hello, Dr. Hobby's office?" he said "I think we found what you've been looking for...a boy with blond hair, blue eyes, just as you said. A young woman brought him here, and she's going to the offices now" he added, and the speakerphone fuzzed a bit, before letting out a muffled reply.

"What...?" a masculine voice said.

 -------------------------------------------

"So David is the first model...the one they've been looking for..." she thought in the elevator "But what will they do when they find him? Will they hurt him?" she added worriedly, and she looked at David "No, David...I won't let them hurt you. We'll get you fixed and if your mom doesn't want you..." she said, and kissed his cheek.

Veronica got out of the elevator and looked for the office...it wasn't too hard to find. When she arrived, she knocked on the door...

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"I wonder which Mecha will I repair" Hal asked.

"Maybe a Lover-Mecha?, they've been here very often..." Henry suggested "But Margaret said it's a DA model, the most recent one"

"A DA?" Hal asked, he wasn't very familiar with Cybertronics' newest model "I wish it was a female Lover-Mecha..."

"Yeah, right...you'll repair it and who knows what will you do later" Henry joked as he went to the bathroom.

"I wish!" Hal laughed as they heard a knock on the door "Lemme see who it is" he said and opened the door, where he saw a young woman with a little boy in her arms "Good evening, miss..." he tried to say, when he saw the boy in her arms "Eh, look, I don't want to sound rude, but...the kindergarten is 2 blocks away from here and-"

"This is the Mecha I told you about" she cut him off "He needs help, c'mon!"

"Oh, dear...when I said he looked real, I wasn't joking" he thought, as they put him on a couch.

"What is it, Hal?" Henry asked as he got out of the bathroom, but when he saw the tiny body in the couch, he shocked. "No..wait...it can't be...David?!" he asked.

"Do you know him?" Veronica said.

"Well...yes" Henry said "Where did you find it?"

"It? Did he just call him 'it'? Oh, hell..." she thought, slightly upset by Henry's impersonal tone, then she answered "I found **_him_** on the road, his mom left him there"

"Henry, isn't that the child your wife had for some days?" Hal asked.

"What, did you have a boy like David?" Veronica asked, when she saw the badge on Henry's desk 'Henry Swinton, accounting executive' and said "So...you're Mrs. Swinton's husband"

"Do you know my wife?" he asked, surprised, and she nodded "Hal, would you leave us alone for a moment? Take David to the repairing room, please" he said, and Hal nodded and left the room with David in his arms. Then he turned to Veronica. "So... how did you know David?" he asked, and she told him everything that happened since she found him in the road.

"I found David and he told me she was his mom...when I took him back, Monica told me everything" she said, and threw him a serious, yet angry glare "And I guess you're the one who told her to dump David"

"Well-" he tried to explain.

"Why did you do it?" she asked.

"We had another son...he was ill and Monica felt so alone...I guessed David would be a temporary company...until Martin was alright"

"So you took him as a toy, an unusual comfort for the lonely soul and the sadness Mrs. Swinton had" she said "That's not very ethical of you" a frown appeared on her young pale face.

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Not too far from there, in a white room, a bunch of scientists were around a table, looking at the prostrated little body on it. Those were part of the Cybertronics staff, who were in charge of repairing David.

"Plug in the blue cable...yes, the one on the gyroscope" one of them said "No, no, not in there! Be careful, you may break it"

"Yeah, yeah, right...this little guy gets in too much trouble...last time he came because he ate spinach, and we had to clean him up, but it took a lot of time! Wonder what happened now" the other one rolled his eyes, as he did as he was told "There, it's done. What next?"

"Open his skull and put his memory cube in there" the first one said.

The other one opened David's mouth, put his finger into it and pressed the button. David's face opened to reveal his metallic parts, and the opening where his memory cube had to be placed in. The tech put in the memory cube, and closed David's face, his blank-looking eyes went back to be his sparkling blue ones.

David looked around the room with a look of confusion and wonder. One of the techs approached him.

"Are you okay, boy?" the tech asked, and he nodded.

"Where am I?" he asked, and he remembered something "Mommy? Where's my mommy? Could you tell me where she is?"

"Your mommy? Oh, you're talking about the young lady who brought you here...she's on the office 102...wait, where are you-" the tech couldn't complete the question because David ran out of the room.

"Children" they sighed.

-------------------------------------------

"Look, miss..." Henry said, but she interrupted him.

"Veronica. Veronica Adams...that's your son Martin, isn't it?" she said, as she looked at the picture Henry had in his desk: Monica and Martin in a soccer game. By the date on the picture, it was very recent. But where was David? She didn't see him in the picture. "I take it you didn't care about David at all" she added.

"Veronica, he's a robot"

"He's a child" she retorted "Maybe he wasn't made like us, but he's still a child! Now I brought David back, and his brain fell out. We brought him here, and..." she told him about the accident, causing him to worry, but she calmed him down "She's at the hospital, with the doctors. She'll be fine, I hope... Why didn't you think twice when you told Mrs. Swinton to dump him? Or should I ask why did you want to dump him, in the first place?"

"As you saw, we already have a son" Henry explained, and told her everything about Martin's illness and what happened when he recovered, the rivalry between David and Martin, and how he finally told Monica to leave David "She told me it was normal for kids to compete between each other, but David made some strange things that left me confused. Trying to drown Martin was the last drop. I couldn't bear with it anymore, so I told Monica to bring him back here"

"To be destroyed, right?" she said "Is that the way you would treat Martin? Would you dump him if he did something wrong? I guess you wouldn't"

"Martin is my son" Henry said, defiantly.

"David is also YOUR son, in some way, even if he's not made of flesh and blood" she walked around the room "And just because you now had Martin, you tried to dump David, as if he were a toy, or a piece of garbage...something you couldn't use anymore"

"Hey, hey, chill out" he said, trying to calm her down "I never said that...I just wanted to make Monica happy for a little while, when Martin was ill"

-------------------------------------------

David ran through the halls until he stumbled and fell in the floor, because he bumped in someone else.

"I'm very sorry, sir" he said politely, but when he looked up, he found a tall, pale-skinned, grey-haired man in his 50s (that was more like grey-blonde hair), looking at him with an expression of true wonder, which was reflected in David's eyes "Who are you? I recognize you somehow" he said, dully.

"David...remember me?" the man asked. David's face went blank as he looked at the man, who was staring at him with interest. He made a gesture to him, as if telling him to enter in an office. David's reluctance appeared when he shook his head, but it didn't seem to work. But, somehow, he WANTED to join that man, because he had seen him before...when they entered the dim, empty office, the man told David to sit down in a chair, and he did. As his blue eyes wandered around the place, he found a badge on the man's desk that said 'Dr. Allen Hobby, robot department'. The man smiled at him, and David's surprise came in a thin whisper.

"You...I saw you when I was born...you're..."

"I'm your designer, David...your creator" Dr. Hobby answered "An that, by all accounts, makes me your father" he smiled, and David's jaw almost dropped.

"No...my mommy...I just have my mommy!" he almost shouted "Just her! You can't-"

"David, you're an early model I just created, a prototype" Dr. Hobby explained "You were meant to fulfill a great human need: to give and receive love"

"I love my mommy, but she...I don't know..." David said, cocking his head to the right "My brain is falling out"

"You think you love her, because you were programmed to love her and only her" Dr. Hobby said "But that opens a gap in our minds...can we love a person because we want, or due to frequent contact, from being around that person all the time?" he added, thoughtfully "David...did you love your mommy...because you GOT USED to stay around her all the time? Because she was the most important part of your world...your life?" he asked, but the boy didn't answer "Do you have any idea of what you've given us? You've opened a Pandora box for us...for our human race...you got us close to God. God created us as humans...that makes him almighty. But we created robots...human-like robots as you, so we might be close to God. We might be almighty as well"

David didn't pay attention to Dr. Hobby's philosophical words; his silicon mind was wandering around other surroundings...

"Mommy...did I really love you...?" he thought "Did you really love me...? Or did you just got used to me? I can't understand" he added, sadly, as Dr. Hobby gently patted his shoulder.

"David...do you want to know your other fathers and mothers?" he asked "The team is anxious to talk to you...wait here, I'll gather them up" he added, and left the room.

David stood up, and walked through the room. When he approached Dr. Hobby's desk, he found a picture where Dr. Hobby was with a little boy in a soccer uniform...by the body language and the similarities he could guess it was Dr. Hobby and his son, but that pale skin...that blond hair...those blue eyes...that sweet smile...were so identical to his own...

"No...it can't be..." he said, with a hand on his mouth "That boy can't be me! I'm the only one in this world! There's never been someone like me before! NEVER!" he shouted as he walked to the right hall, and there he found something that shocked him...a bunch of Davids, maybe a hundred, stood in front of him.

"This is me?" he asked "This is what I've been before? Will I become like this again?" he added, as he saw them... all dressed alike in white outfits (like the one he first used), all looking alike, all staring blankly to the front...

And he understood.

He was only a robot, a product to console childless couples, something to be sold, used and then destroyed...all his shocking anger came at his earnest, and he took a lamp; smashing all the other Davids, breaking their faces, peeling off their clothes, breaking all the computers and ripping all the papers he found in the desk. The poor David was so angry...he couldn't stand it anymore...

"I'm not a robot! I'm real! I'm David! I'm the only one, and I'll always be!" he yelled as he kicked the head of one of the other Davids...

When his fury decreased, he looked around the room...all the mess he had caused. He covered his face with his hands.

"What have I done?" he asked "Dr. Hobby...mommy...Veronica...forgive me" he whispered, as he ran off the room, leaving that havoc atmosphere behind...

-------------------------------------------

"I'll repeat it...you just thought of David as a toy...a goddamn toy!" she exclaimed, when she heard the door open, and there was a little figure she knew too well "David? Are you okay, sweetie?" she asked, as she reached out to him and gave him a hug. He started crying "Honey, what's wrong?"

"Veronica, I...where's my mommy?" he asked innocently "Why isn't she here?" he added, but Veronica hesitated a little in telling him about the accident.

"David, we brought you here in the car, but a truck passed by, and...your mom, well, she..."

"She...what?" he asked.

"She's seriously hurt, David." she told him "I took her to the hospital"

"What?" he said "Take me to her...please, Veronica...take me there" he begged clinging to her desperately, and she took him out, joined by Henry.

-------------------------------------------

"Dr. Longchamp...Dr. Sanders...Emergency room.. Immediately" the voice on the speakerphone said.

Veronica, David and Henry had arrived to the Cybertronics Medical Pavilion, and were looking for Monica. Veronica told them everything about the accident, but looking at David's worried face, she tried to calm them down and reassure them she would be okay.

"Excuse me, miss" Veronica asked a nurse walking by "Could you tell me where Mrs. Monica Swinton is?"

"Emergency Room, door 2" she answered, and they walked away.

"Room 1...2...here, we found it" Henry said, and they entered. Monica was in a bed, a doctor besides her. They approached the doctor and Henry asked "Dr. Sanders, how's she doing?" The doctor shook his head.

"She's very delicate now...she received a string impact in her head, and all the pieces of glass in her entire body made her bleed internally" he answered "Dr. Longchamp and I doing our best...but she's not responding"

Henry's face showed a sad expression and David did as well. He approached Monica's bed and took her hand.

"Mommy..." he said, when he saw Monica's eyes open, and she looked at him.

"David...Henry..." she tried to say, she was too weak now...

Veronica stood back, looking at the scene...although she hoped Monica would be okay, she had her doubts...

"Please, God...save her..." she thought "For David..." she added, as she looked at the little boy, a sad look on his face...

**_Author's Note: _**_I guess I'm gonna write a few more chapters...2 more, and it's done. Keep an eye on this fic, and don't forget to leave a review!_


	7. A big favor and unexpected loss

**_Author's Note: _**_Here's the 7th Chapter, I hope you'll enjoy it. Sorry for the long delay!_

**Chapter 7: A big favor and Unexpected Loss**

Hours passed like days in the Emergency Room. As the doctors (Mecha and real ones) struggled to save Monica's life, David, Veronica, Henry and Teddy were in the waiting room, Teddy sitting on David's lap. Henry was walking unstoppably through the narrow hall and Veronica was tapping her fingers on the table besides her; her fingernails making a low, yet annoying noise.

"Would you mind stopping that?" Henry asked her, impatiently. The long wait and the exertion due to the hard work at night had drained his energy and, if Monica wasn't ill worrying him, he'd given everything for a good night sleep.

"Sorry" Veronica said, stopping her tapping "Look, we're as worried as you are...specially him" she added, looking at David, who was with his head bowed down, looking blankly to the floor, with Teddy tightly cuddled in his arms. He was so worried about his mommy, but at the same time he was confused, remembering what he had heard from Veronica and Dr. Hobby...

_"He's just a little boy who needs your love, and you didn't want to give it to him...all that means that you DID NOT LOVE HIM!"_

_"No...no...mommy...You...you don't...hate me...do you?"_

_"You think you love her, because you were programmed to love her and only her..."_

His poor little brain was struggling to understand, and it bothered him. If he could, he would kick that door that separated them from Monica, hold her hand and ask her to tell him she loved him...if only he could...

"David, what's wrong?" Veronica asked him, seeing his sad, yet thoughtful expression.

"My mommy...will she be alright?" he asked, with a hint of worry in his voice. Veronica didn't know what to tell him, because the damage Monica suffered was really serious; her head was bleeding, and the internal injuries barely let her breathe. But Veronica didn't want to worry David, he was already worried by now.

"Honestly...I don't know, David" she answered, as David extended his arms to her, wanting to be held "I really don't know" she whispered, as she leaned her head on David's.

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In a crowded room, some people, dressing white robes, were around a big bed, which contained a prostrate female body on it. As they tried to make her regain some consciousness, the woman stared coughing violently, spitting blood from her mouth. The doctors, in spite of their profession, were slightly disgusted when they saw her spitting; the white blanket that covered her had become red with the blood that covered it...

"This is really serious" Dr. Longchamp said "I don't know if she'll make it" he added sadly.

"Should we call her relatives to come in?" his companion, a blonde-haired woman said.

"Yes, please...call them" Monica barely answered as she coughed wildly.

"Hm, I think we should, but after we finish here" Dr. Sanders said, and the nurse nodded, frowning her nose disgustingly as she saw the blood covered blanket.

-------------------------------------------

Henry walked through the E.R's waiting room, as David and Veronica looked the landscapes showed in the holographic windows. One minute you could see a beautiful garden full of roses, and the image would change to a quiet lake...her eyes rested on the fake rose petals, but some footsteps behind her made her head turn around.

"Excuse me, are you a relative of Ms. Swinton?" a masculine voice asked her, and she looked at the talker: it was a brown-haired, green eyed man, very young, maybe in his early 20s. He was wearing a white robe, so Veronica assumed he was a doctor. She smiled at him.

"Yes...well, not exactly" she said "Are you part of the medical staff?" she asked, and he nodded.

"I'm Jack Longchamp" he said "And, indeed, Dr. Sanders and myself are treating Mrs. Swinton. Dr. Sanders and the nurse are finishing the first part of the operation, and I came out looking for some bandages..."

"It must be hard on you to deal with this, I mean...at these hours" she said, sympathetically.

"Well, that's what doctors are for" he said, and looked at David, who was curled up against Veronica "I guess he's your brother?"

"Oh, no...he's Mrs. Swinton's son" she said.

"I see..." he said, and David talked to him.

"Will my Mommy be alright?" David asked worriedly.

"We're doing our best" Dr. Longchamp answered, and smiled at him "Don't worry, big guy. Your mommy will be okay" he added, patting the little boy's back, and looked at Veronica "Well, it's time. Back to work" he said, still smiling at the girl, who was blushing fiercely red.

"O-okay...bye" she managed to say, as he walked away.

"Did you hear that, Veronica? Mommy will be okay" David said, clutching her hand, but she didn't pay attention "Veronica? Are you alright?" he asked again, when he realized she was looking at the door Dr. Longchamp had just passed by...

"Eh...yes, David?" she slapped herself back to reality.

"Did you hear me?" he asked, frowning slightly.

"Oh, yeah I did...let's hope she'll be okay" she smiled at him, as she took her hand and they sat down in the waiting room.

"Teddy, did you see how Veronica looked at the doctor?" David whispered to Teddy, while Veronica was reading a medical magazine.

"Yes, David" the bear said.

"What happened to her?" the boy asked.

"I don't know" Teddy answered.

-------------------------------------------

The minutes passed like days, and Veronica, tired from the worry she had, was falling asleep. When she hugged David very close to her chest, he stiffened, surprised. But he immediately smiled slightly and started to caress her soft, brown hair.

"It looks so much like Mommy's" he thought as he looked at her, then to the E.R.'s door "Mommy..." he sighed.

Henry looked at the young girl hugging David, and remembered Monica just as when he met her, some years ago. They looked so identical, like two drops of water, just with 10 years of difference between them...

"Now I see why David likes her so much" he thought as he saw the little boy's hand touching Veronica's hair.

Some minutes later, Henry was drinking coffee while Veronica and David were reading a medical magazine, and suddenly the E.R.'s door opened, with a rushed nurse passing by. The nurse stopped her fast walk in front of Henry.

"Are you relatives of Ms. Monica Swinton?" she asked, and Henry nodded.

"How's my wife doing?" he said.

"Well, sir...we're doing our best" she answered "But it's getting really hard on us"

"Can we see her?" David asked, and the nurse smiled at him sympathetically.

"Sure you can" she said "Are you her son?" she added, and Henry looked at her, awkwardly.

"Yes...sort of" he said, as they walked away to Monica's bed, leaving the nurse incredibly puzzled.

-------------------------------------------

"Mommy!" David said, as he ran to hug her. Monica slowly sat up, and weakly responded to David's tight hug. He noticed it, and looked at her with a mix of seriousness and worry on his face "Are you okay, mommy?" he asked her, and she nodded lightly.

"Yes, honey...I'm fine" she smiled slightly. The doctor had already cleaned her up, and the blood-stained bed sheets had been changed to clean ones, not to scare David or his family.

"Listen, you can only stay 10 minutes, then only her husband will stay with her" the doctor said "We must not stress her too much" he added, and they nodded, as he left the room.

David leaned his head on Monica's lap, and looked at her with an innocent look on his eyes.

"Mommy, will you be alright?" he asked, but she was too weak to answer...her pale face scared David away "Mommy? Mommy!"

"David...I don't...I don't think I'll get through this..." she tried to speak "I guess...I guess I have to go..."

"Go? Go where, Mommy?" he asked. Henry stepped forward, and stood besides Monica.

"Honey, you're not going to-" he said, but Monica interrupted him.

"I don't know, Henry...I'm not sure" she whispered.

Veronica stood still, leaning against the wall. The family scene was so intimate that she felt she would be an intruder if she took part of it. So she stood there, looking at the floor.

"The doctor told us she's very weak" she thought, as she tapped her foot against the floor "But...what did he mean with weak? How weak would she be? She looks terrible...maybe she'll...no, no, she can't die!" she thought again, throwing to Monica a worried glance.

Monica looked at the young girl, and smiled.

"Henry, David...would you please leave us alone for a moment?" she finally said.

"Wha-" Henry was going to protest, but Monica's serious look made him keep his mouth shut "Fine...c'mon, David" he told the little boy, and he nodded. Then, Henry and David left the room, closing the door behind them.

"Come here, Veronica" Monica told her. The girl walked slowly towards the bed, and sat down in a chair besides Monica.

"Mrs. Swinton, what did you mean with that phrase...that you have to go?" she asked doubtfully "You're not saying that-"

"Listen, I don't know what will happen to me" Monica spoke slowly, between chokes "And what will happen to David, either...so...I have a big favor to ask you..."

"Which favor can it be?" Veronica asked seriously.

"Listen to me very carefully..." she said, and Veronica obeyed.

-------------------------------------------

"Wonder what are they talking about" Henry said, as he walked towards the E.R.'s hall.

David was in front of his mommy's door, looking at her through the door's tiny window. He could see the two women talking, Veronica's face shifting from seriousness to shocking surprise, then Monica taking Veronica's hand, the girl taking her hand away, and covering her face...it seemed like they were arguing or something like that, but David couldn't hear what they were saying...

"Teddy, what are they talking about?" he asked his furry friend.

"I have no idea" the bear said.

"Maybe it's serious...look at Veronica's face" David said again.

"It must be really important" Teddy said, as they looked to the window, to the two women...

-------------------------------------------

"So you think it's the best way" Veronica said "Are you sure about it?"

"Henry doesn't like him anymore, and you already know about Martin" Monica said "I highly doubt he'd agree about keeping him"

"That's right"

"So...will you do it?"

"I'll think about it...I promise" Veronica answered, as she left the room.

-------------------------------------------

In the waiting room, Veronica sat down besides David, gently avoiding his questions about what she talked with Monica. She leaned her head on the wall, and tried to think about the big favor that woman had asked her to do.

"I'd do it with no problem, but...what about Mr. Swinton? What about my family? Will they agree?" she thought as she looked at David, curled up in her lap "Will he agree?"

-------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, in the E.R.'s room, the doctors were operating Monica. She was lying still on the bed, already covered with blood she had spit before. She was lying still as the doctors operated her, but suddenly, something happened...

"Blood pressure is above the normal!" one nurse said.

"I need help here, her heartbeats are decreasing!" Dr. Sanders said.

"Wha..? No, it can't be! What does the monitor say?" Dr. Longchamp said, worriedly, as the woman shook her head uncontrollably, and started screaming...

"Her blood pressure is decreasing now...and her body temperature is going down..." a nurse said, looking at the monitor.

"Be careful! We're losing her!" Dr. Longchamp said desperately, as the woman wracked with chills all over her body...finally, she lied still, her head tilted back, her eyes blankly looking at the ceiling...

"Her body is getting cold..." one nurse said, as she touched Monica's forehead. Dr. Longchamp shook his head.

"We couldn't make it" he finally said, as the nurse wrote down the death time (the time when Monica died) on her clipboard, and they left the room, with Monica's cold, dead body lying on the bed...

-------------------------------------------

"How's she doing?" Henry said, as Dr. Longchamp arrived. David ran to them, and pulled the doctor's sleeve.

"How's my mommy? Is she okay? Can I see her?" he asked anxiously. The doctor didn't know what to tell him, and he had no time because David ran to the room where Monica was.

David arrived to the bed, and stood besides Monica.

"Mommy? Mommy, it's me! Mommy, it's not bedtime now! Wake up!" he said, as he shook his mommy, but no matter how much he shook her, she did never arouse...

"Mommy? What's wrong? Your face is so cold..." he said, and he heard the door opening. He looked back, and there were Veronica, Henry and the doctor, standing besides him. David looked at them, with a worried look on his big blue eyes "Doctor, what's wrong with my mommy? Why doesn't she answer to me?" he asked, and Dr. Longchamp shook his head. Veronica looked at David, with a sad look on her eyes.

"David..." she said, as she reached David and pulled him into a hug "Listen, hunny...your mom was really weak, and...she...she had to go..."

"Go where? Where did she go? I want to be with her! I want to be with my mommy!" he demanded, but she softly laid a finger upon his lips.

"Honey...she went to a place where you can't go back...you can't go with her, neither can we" she answered, carefully choosing her words, not to hurt him more than he was "David...your mom is no longer with us"

Those words hit him inside...and he understood. He remembered the talk he had with his mommy when he wasted her perfume...

_"Mommy...will you die?"_

_"Well...one day, David, yes, I will"_

_"How long will you live?"_

_"For ages...for fifty years"_

_"I love you, Mommy...I hope you'll never die...never"_

And his worst fear had come...his mommy had died...

"No...NO! She can't be dead!" he said, screaming "She's sleeping, and she'll wake up soon, and I'll bring her some coffee and-"

"No, David..." Veronica told him "She can't wake up...never again"

David pulled her away with all his might, and ran away, leaving the room, passing by the stunned Henry and the doctors.

"Why, mommy? Why did you...?" he said, as he wiped his eyes.

"Oh, David..." Veronica said, wiping her own tears...

-------------------------------------------

David stood at the balcony of the hospital. He walked to the edge of the floor, and looked down...it was a huge fall from there; whomever who tried to jump would have his or her bones totally broken. He closed his eyes and thought about his mommy, and how much he missed her...

"Mommy..." he said, as he let his silicon mind stop working, and he felt the same cold shivers running down his body...and he fell backwards on the floor, again...

-------------------------------------------

"David...? David!" Veronica shouted, looking for him. When she walked to the balcony, she saw Teddy running to her. She took him on her arms "Teddy, where's David? Is he alright?" she asked him, and Teddy furrowed his brows.

"He's on the balcony, but he..." the bear said, and jumped down "Follow me" he said, as he ran to the balcony, and she followed him.

As she walked, she saw a frozen body in front of her. As she went closer, she recognized the body...a tiny body that was so familiar...too familiar...

"David?!" she screamed "David, what's wrong? David, talk to me! David!!" she shook him, but he didn't answer...

"What's wrong?" Henry said, as he reached her, but when he saw David, he stood, shocked "Oh, God..." he said, but Veronica looked at him.

"We must take him to Cybertronics...quick!" she said, and Henry complied.

-------------------------------------------

In the Cybertronics's Maintenance offices, David was waiting to be fixed. His prostrate body lied on a table, his eyes wide open, his jaw dropped.

Veronica looked at him through the big window in the hall, and a tear came from her eyes.

"What will they do with you, David? Where will you go now?" she asked, as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked besides her, and there was Henry, with a serious look on his face "Mr. Swinton, what will you guys do with David after he's repaired? What's going to happen to him?" she asked him worriedly.

"Well, let's talk about that" another masculine voice said. She looked, and there was Dr. Hobby, who gently led her to his office.

Henry closed the door as they entered the room.

"Would you please sit down, miss?" Dr. Hobby told her, and she complied. As she did, she looked around the room, and took a deep breath.

"What do you want from me?" she asked.

"Well, you already know why are you here" Dr. Hobby looked at her wryly "We have to talk about David"

"What will you do to him?" she said.

"Well...I was thinking about something..." he said.

"Dr. Hobby...what will you do with him? Will you...destroy him?" she asked, worried.

"I think we should...unless you have a better idea" he answered, and Veronica bit her lower lip, thinking about Monica's proposal when they had their last conversation...and she told him everything, and all the reasons Monica gave her.

-------------------------------------------

David's unconscious body was a big, white table in the Maintenance offices, waiting to be re-activated. The techs had already checked his memory cube, and sent it to another department.

"Hm, I think there's still some life in him...I think we'll make it" one of them said "Don't worry, little fellow. You'll wake up soon" he added sympathetically, as he looked at David's blank face.

-------------------------------------------

Henry stood on the wall, his face wrinkled with concern. Dr. Hobby stretched his hands, and gave Veronica a thoughtful look.

"Maybe we can do something about that..." he finally said "Do you have any problem with Mechas? Does your family have them?"

"Hmmm...no...just my aunt...but she doesn't live with us" she answered "What does it have to do with this?" she asked defiantly.

"I can help you out...if you let me help" he answered "What do you think?"

Veronica shrugged in her chair. Maybe she could talk to him, tell him everything...and make Monica's will come true...

**_Author's Note: _**_Whooo!! Well, what do you think of this one?! __Did you like it? I really hope you did!_

_Okay, it's taking a while to write this story because the plot and the theme (mmm...I think it's the same thing!) are really hard to me to explain. This chapter, and the whole story, has been the hardest for me to write, I've never treated this theme, so I'll accept all the ideas you give me, and that includes the critics! Constructive ones, of course!_

_Now...what will Dr. Hobby do to help Veronica and David? What will happen to him, now that Monica's dead? Read next chapter to find out!_


	8. Your Love Will Bring Him Back

**_Author's Note: _**_Sorry for the long delay! I've had a serious injury, and that's why I hadn't published anything on these days. But don't worry, I'm back on the horse, bringing you a new chapter for you to enjoy! And thanks for the reviews I've got some ideas from them, now that this story is about to end!!_

**Chapter 8: Your love can bring him back**

"First of all, tell me how you met David" Dr. Hobby said, and Veronica told him the entire story.

"...and we ended up here, because his mom was hurt, and he wanted to see her..." she said, and the door opened. A rushed woman came in, handing Dr. Hobby a very suspicious object.

"Dr. Hobby, here we have the memory cube" she said.

"Here, let me" he said, as he took it "It'll be interesting to see what's in here" he added, as he turned it on. The images of David's memories surrounded the big screen in front of the desk...

Dr. Hobby saw the entire activation Monica did, when she tucked him on the bed, when he tried to cut Monica's hair...and all the pranks Martin had done to the poor boy...he felt tears fall from his eyes when Monica dumped David on the woods, and when he walked alone in the forest.

Then he saw Veronica helping David, when they passed the night at the hotel, David's slight tantrum, the safety and warmth he felt in Veronica's arms, always her, always smiling at him, protecting him...all his emotions were saved in that little cube...

When Dr. Hobby finally turned it off and the woman exited, his face grew serious, yet warm, and looked at the girl.

"So this is it..." he said "He's really gotten attached to you. You seem to be stuck in his mind"

"Maybe...because I remind him of Monica?" she asked slowly, her eyes darkening by that thought "Maybe because my name sounds like hers...or because I look like her?"

"It might be. Do you know about the clang association?" he asked, and she shook her head, saying that she had no idea, and he continued "It's a term of psychology, and it refers to the thoughts and feelings you can have when you see or hear something related to something that happened to you...like when you hear a song, and you remember you danced it with your beloved. All the feelings and memories of that dance may come up when you hear that song"

"So he related me to Monica, didn't he?" she said, sadly.

"Maybe he did, but in a completely different way...you stayed in his mind, and now he feels you like an individual, not like his mommy...you and Monica have become one in his mind and heart"

"But now...now she's gone" Veronica said, almost in tears "And maybe David wants to go with her...I won't see him again..."

"Or maybe you will. You can bring him back..." Dr. Hobby smiled at her, and stood up, walked to her chair, and looked sympathetically at her "Your love can bring him back" he added, as he put a hand on her shoulder.

-------------------------------------------

"Come here, I want to show you something" Dr. Hobby said, as Veronica followed him to the Maintenance Dept. Henry had stayed on his office, dealing with some papers, and calling his son Martin, who was on a classmate's house to spend the weekend. Obviously, Martin wasn't exactly happy for hearing David was back, but Henry told him Dr. Hobby would do something about it.

They opened the main door, and entered. Veronica could see the Mecha radiographies everywhere, the tools, all the Mecha-techs and real ones...and finally, she stopped in front of a chair, where she saw something that caught her eye...

"David..." she whispered, looking at the little body prostrated on the chair, his eyes open wide, his jaw dropped, and his blank expression. His clothes had been renewed, and so had been his skin and rest of his body. Now he was ready to wake up, but there seemed to be a little hesitation...

"He's ready, Dr. Hobby" a tech said, looking at him.

"Shall we begin, miss?" he asked Veronica, and she stepped forward, to sit in front of David.

"Yes, Dr. Hobby...I'm ready" she answered "I don't know how to do this..." she whispered, as she caressed David's face.

"Don't worry, just convince him to stay here" he said "Remember what I said...your love can bring him back"

Veronica gave him a nervous smile, and looked at David. She held that little body into her arms, as the techs inserted his memory cube and reactivated him...he started to move a little, and finally opened his eyes.

"Mommy! Mommy! I had this strange dream, I've never dreamed before..." he said, looking everywhere, until he faced Veronica's eyes, full of concern and seriousness "But...where's my mommy? What happened to her?" he asked, confused; but she held him into a tight hug. "What are you doing?" he asked, confused.

"Don't worry, David" she said, as she kissed his forehead "I'll bring you back..."

*************************************

_What will Veronica do to save David? Will he recover or will he reunite with Monica? Keep your eyes on this fic, because the final chapter is COMING SOON!!_


	9. Mothering the Motherless

**_Author's Note: _**_Sorry for the long delay, but I've been really busy. You see, I'm a college student, and I've had plenty of tests and homework to do, so I didn't have much free time. But here I am, back to wrap what's been the HARDEST story for me to write!! _

_I have to say that I've modified a teensy bit on Chapters 7 and 8, introducing a few characters, so I'd recommend you to re-read them._

_With nothing else to say...enjoy the last chapter of "Imprinting Conflict"_

**Chapter 9: Mothering the Motherless: Transference of Imprinting**

Veronica released David, and looked at Dr. Hobby.

"Um...would you mind...?" she said, and he understood. He and his companions got out of the room, leaving Veronica alone with David.

Veronica sat down in front of David's chair, kneeling herself, so she'd be at his height. David's eyes were looking at her, with a mix of fear and confusion...

"David, honey...remember your mom wasn't feeling well, right?" Veronica asked him, trying to help him remember Monica's death. David started to remember everything, and he looked at her.

"And...she..." he began to say, and he remembered the look on Monica's face when she died, that cold stare, the motionless body...

"Yes, David...she left us" Veronica said, and she thought "There, I said it...what will he do now?" while she looked at the little boy in front of her.

David sat down in the floor, curling himself into a little ball. He covered his head with his hands, and his body began to shake uncontrollably...

"No...she didn't..." he whispered, then he cried out "SHE CAN'T LEAVE ME!! SHE'S THE ONLY ONE I HAVE!! Nobody loves me but her!!"

"David, you can't keep her forever..."

"But she told me...she told me she'd live for ages!!" he whined "For...fifty years!! Fifty whole years!! She wasn't even 50!!"

"Hon, listen to me" she tried to explain to him what happened, so he'd understand "Nobody knows how long we will live...we as humans can't control that par of our lives...Look, your mommy said she would die in 50 years, but...that was just a...deduction, a hope" David looked at her, surprised, and she continued "We all want to have long, happy lives, but...we don't know when and how our lives will end. If your mom hadn't died today...she'd die anyway, in the future...we can't change that...No matter how many machines we create to prolong life, no matter how many medicines we take...someday, anyhow, we'll be gone"

"But she...she promised me...she'd stay with me!" he said.

"And she is, David! She's here" Veronica said, her fingertips gently touching his chest -where his heart would be if he were human- and whispered "As long as you remember the happy moments you had with her, she'll be alive...in your mind and heart. If you remember her with a smile, she'll be happy too, wherever she is"

"Is she in a place we can visit her?" he asked innocently. Veronica smiled.

"No, honey, we can't...at least for now" she answered "But she can see us, and if she sees you crying for her, she'll feel sad, because she doesn't want you to be unhappy...she's somewhere, protecting you..."

"But without her...I'm...alone" he said, while his voice came out in thin, sad whispers "I'm...completely alone..." he added, curling his body, looking even smaller than he was...

Veronica gently patted his back, and sat besides him.

"You're not alone, David..." she said, while she put a hand on his face "Your mom is there...protecting you. And...I'm here... I'll always be here" she added, as David looked at her with a surprised expression "David...let me be with you...let me continue what your mom started...all the love she gave you...I can give it to you too..."

"You...can you do that?" he asked.

"Only if you want me to" she answered, and he looked at her smile. Suddenly, he remembered Monica's smile, and how identical his mommy and Veronica were. Then he extended his arms to her, like begging for a hug.

"Hold me...please...hold me" he whispered, as she hugged him "Keep me safe..." he said, as his body trembled more violently and he finally stopped.

"David... David?" Veronica asked when she got no response from him. His eyes were still open, staring blankly to the ceiling. His motionless body was now into the scared girl's arms. "David?! What's wrong? Please, talk to me!" she cried out, shaking that fragile, tiny body. But David didn't answer..."Dr. Hobby?! COME HERE!! Something happened to David!!" she shouted, and Dr. Hobby quickly entered the room.

"What happened?" he asked as he saw David's frozen body in Veronica's arms. "Here, lemme check" he added, as he checked David, looking for some imperfection in his body...and he found the problem "Oh, there's no need to worry, miss Adams. David's brain just ran out...he's received too many emotions lately" he added, and she sighed in relief "Let him rest for a few minutes...I've restarted his memory cube...it'll take 2 minutes"

"Okay"

"Now, tell me...what will you do after he wakes up? Will you obey Mrs. Swinton's last wish?" he asked, and she looked at him, seriously.

"I'll do it...only if he wants me to" she finally answered, and he smiled.

"I thought so" he said, and looked at David, whose eyes were opening "See? It just took a minute...now...go to him" he told her, and she did so.

"David? How do you feel, honey?" she asked David, and he looked at her.

"Yes" he said "Can I ask you something, Veronica?"

"Sure...what is it?" she asked.

"What you said before...about wanting me...did you mean it?" he asked softly, and she surprised. Then, her surprise became a smile.

"Yes, David, I'm serious...I really love you, honey..." she answered.

"But if you keep me...Henry and..." he said, but Dr. Hobby stood next to him.

"Mr. Swinton agreed, David...we all agreed. In fact, it was your mother's last wish"

"But I'll forget her?" he asked scared, because it was a very important thing to him...he didn't want to forget Monica.

"Don't worry about that" Dr. Hobby said "We won't erase your memories of Monica...she'll stay in your mind, but you'll be able to love someone else, specially if this new person looks like her" he looked sympathetically at David and Veronica, and said "Think of this way: we won't take away your memories, we'll just help you to make new ones"

David looked at Veronica and Dr. Hobby with a serious expression on his face. Then, some small steps approached him, and a furry paw touched his back.

"Teddy?" David said, as the bear climbed to his lap.

"Yes, David" the bear said.

"Will Mommy hate me if I have a new Mommy?" David asked.

"I don't think so...why would she hate you?" the bear said, and David looked at them, with a broad smile on his face. Veronica and Dr. Hobby smiled too.

"It seems like we'll set a new parental file here..." he said, always with his practical tone, in spite of the highly sentimental moment.

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"Now, David...stay still, honey" she said, as she sat him down on a chair, and kneeled in front of him "Listen to me, and look at me all the time, okay?"

"Yes, Veronica" he said, with that sweet smile she so loved.

"Well...here we go..." she said, as she pressed David's activation button -which was already unlocked by Dr. Hobby earlier, when he rebuilt his memory cube-, and began saying the words "Cirrus... Socrates... Particle... Decibel... Hurricane... Dolphin... Tulip... Veronica...David...Veronica"

When she stopped, she looked at the folder, checking if all the steps were right, but a tiny hand took the folder from her hand, and looked at her with seriousness, warmth...was it love, that light shining into his eyes?

"David...?" she said, as he smiled at her.

"Mommy" he said with a smile.

"What...what did you call me?" she said.

"Mommy..." he answered, and extended his arms to her. She immediately held him into her arms.

"Oh, David..." she said, with tears in her eyes, feeling the wonderful sensation of his warm, soft arms around her...

"I love you, Mommy..."

_A new day had come..._

_new__ memories were now in his mind..._

_but__ Monica's love would never be left behind..._

_Now, for little sweet David, this was a new beginning..._

_The beginning of a long, love-filled life..._

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"Guys...I've got some important news for you" Veronica said when she arrived to her house. Her mom, her sister Anna and aunt Sarah sat down in the veranda of the Adams's house in Roswell, New Mexico. She knew that her family, especially her aunt, would be a little hesitant to accept David, so she tried to give them the news as simply as she could.

"And what's so important, darling?" her mother, a pale-skinned, brown-haired woman in her 60s asked.

"Well...do you remember that we saw a robot...a Mecha...when Anna and I were little?" Veronica said.

"Yes...and I don't have good memories from that moment" her aunt Sarah frowned.

"And you know they looked very real, right?" Veronica said, and her sister Anna stood besides her.

"All right, sis...what's the big bang here?" she asked.

"I...I have a..." Veronica tried to find the right words, but she couldn't. So she decided to tell it as it came out "I have a Mecha. I brought him with me"

"WHAT?!" the three other women gasped, and aunt Sarah talked.

"You're NOT meaning that..." she said, and Veronica nodded.

"Yes, I own him" she said, and she walked to her car and opened the door "David, come with me" she told him, and he took her hand as he got out of the car.

"Mommy? Who are they?" he asked innocently, as he saw the three women staring at him from the veranda.

"They're my relatives, David. I'm gonna introduce you to them" she answered, and she saw a slight worry on his eyes "It's okay, big guy. They'll like you"

"Will they?"

"I hope so...how couldn't they like you?" she smiled at him, to reassure her statement, and David, relieved, smiled back.

They walked, hand in hand, to the veranda, where Veronica's relatives were staring at them.

"Mom...aunt...Anna...he's David" she said, as David stepped forward and looked at them.

"I'm David. It's a pleasure to meet you" he said politely, with a sweet, warm smile. Anna looked at him through her eyeglasses, and smiled.

"Awwww isn't this the cutest boy in the world?" she said with a childish voice, in spite of her age (she was 24 years old), and David smiled at her.

"Erm...sweetheart, I thought you said you had a Mecha" her mom said "Where is it?"

"Mom...it's right here" Veronica answered, looking at David, and her relatives again! gasped, and aunt Sarah talked again.

"Ohhhh no way...THERE'S NO WAY YOU'RE KEEPING THIS-" she said, but David stood in front of her, with a hand stretched out and his eternal smile.

"Nice to meet you, aunt Sarah" he said softly, still with his hand extended.

Sarah Adams looked at the little boy in front of her. She couldn't believe it was a robot, like the Mechas she -as a Christian fundamentalist- defiantly rejected...but what was that thing inside him, that feeling deep within, that kept telling her he was different from the others? Was it his childish innocence? Or his incredibly realistic look? Or that loving, caring nature he seemed to have? She didn't know...but his smile convinced her, and she gave him a hug, in front of the surprised looks of her nieces and sister.

"Hello? Isn't that our aunt Sarah, the biggest Mecha-hater of Roswell?" Anna joked, and Veronica laughed.

"Well...maybe he's not as bad as the others" her aunt said.

"I knew you'd like him!" Veronica smiled, as she took David's hand and they entered in the house...the place that would be David's home...for the rest of his life...

Days and months passed by, as for David was the happiest time he ever had. Veronica and her family gave him all the love and care he needed, but his mommy Monica was still in his mind...he followed his mommy Veronica's advice, and accepted what happened to Monica, remembering the happy moments he had with her...and the new happy moments he would have with Veronica...with all the love he felt for them, which would never fade away...

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"Happy Birthday, dear Monica...happy birthday to you!!!" everybody cheered the 10-year-old girl in her birthday, and she blew off the candles, taking away some strands of her brown hair.

"Now let's open the presents!" Monica said, her brown eyes sparkling brightly.

"We'll take the birthday picture first, okay?" her mother said.

"Okay...grandma? Grandma Veronica? Come here!!" the girl said, and a slender, gray-haired woman in her 60s approached her.

"Anything for my favorite granddaughter..." she said, as she stood besides little Monica.

"Wait...where's David?" Monica said, as she heard a giggle besides her...everybody turned around, and they saw a blond-haired boy, his face all smeared with cake frosting. He was giggling uncontrollably, with a brown-haired little boy besides him...

"David, Adam!! Look what you've done!!" Monica's mom, Alicia, said "Go clean yourselves RIGHT NOW!!"

"Oh, Alicia..." Veronica said "They're kids! Let them be!" she smiled.

"Mom, you're sooo soft on them!" Alicia rolled her eyes.

David and Adam looked at each other, both of them all covered with cream, and giggled as they ran off to clean themselves.

At this point of the story, 45 years had passed, and Veronica had gotten married with Jack Longchamp, the young head doctor from Cybertronics's Medical Pavilion, whom she started dating a year after Monica's death. They had moved to Roswell, where Veronica found a job as an accounting executive in the Roswell's new Cybertronics offices, and Jack worked as a doctor in the main hospital. They had a child, Alicia, who some years later gave birth to Adam and Monica Longchamp Adams; an 8-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl, who had been named after Monica Swinton, David's previous mother.

At this time, there were lots of David models on the market, as realistic as the prototype, created by Dr. Hobby a long time ago. But in Veronica's family, everybody treated David as a family member, especially Monica and Adam, who enjoyed greatly the company of their "brother", although David was their uncle, since Alicia was David's sister.

"Okay...we're ready..." Alicia said, as she set the camera "David, stand besides Monica and Adam, please...yeah, that's great!!"

"Mom, hurry up!" Monica said.

"Okay, okay...1...2....3....CHEESE!!" everybody said, as the camera flashed.

Once the picture was taken, the kids ran off to play.

"I hope they won't get hurt or dirty..." Alicia said, as she drank a glass of soda.

"Honey, they're children" her father said.

"And they just want to have fun" Veronica added, as she looked at the three kids playing with water guns in the patio "Look at them..."

"Mom...isn't it weird that David is their uncle, and they think he's their brother?" Alicia said, as she saw Adam shooting David with his water gun.

"It doesn't matter...as long as they love each other" her mother said, as she smiled at them...

David and Adam were now rolling in the grass, as Monica shot them with the water gun...their laugh, their giggles and fun, arrived to Veronica's ears and eyes...and she remembered all the 40 years of happiness she had with David...now her family would continue the legacy...and maybe, one day...he would be...real...

"He's so human..." she smiled again.

**THE END.******

**_"Everything that has a beginning has an end"_** -- The Oracle, from _Matrix Revolutions. _(I love that quote)

**_Author's Note:_**_ So...what do you think of this ending? Was it good? Or did it suck? I'm waiting for your reviews!_

_For "Lost Survivor", who's been reviewing this story: I tried to use the Peter Pan tip you gave me, I hope I did it good. As you can see, Veronica's family has kept David, and they will, continuing the legacy._

_Ehhh__ I guess that's all for now...if you want, you can visit my personal website, listed in my profile..._

_Laters__!_

_Daniella. ___


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